


Repeated history

by littletechiebird



Category: DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Nightwing (Comic), Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-30
Updated: 2012-03-30
Packaged: 2017-11-02 18:46:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littletechiebird/pseuds/littletechiebird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Request: "You know, fathers don't like to admit it when their daughters are capable of running their own lives. It means we become spectators. Beonca still lets me play a few innings. You've had me on the bench for years. When you go to Sarah Lawrence, I won't even be able to watch the game."- Mr. Stratford ~ 10 Things I Hate About You Change the daughter to sons/beonca to Dick[or another robin]/sarah lawrence to Tim Kent/ and of course change Mr. Stratford to Bruce/ or Alfred</p>
            </blockquote>





	Repeated history

He remembered.

But he had also nearly forgotten.

_“Master Richard.”_

_He was too angry to even want to listen. He was too busy grabbing his necessities and desired items, and shoving them into the couple bags he had pulled out. Pack light, but take all that he would need and want. Enough that he wouldn’t have to worry about coming back and making this any worse than it already was. He just wanted out. He wanted to run because it was just going to make him feel the worse the longer he stayed. Or, even worse than that, he’d somehow lose his resolve._

_“You must understand Master Bruce’s thinking in this case. I will not say whether he was right, in any of the situations, nor will I do so for you. But I know both of you always have the best intentions at heart.”_

_He couldn’t be mad at Alfred. He couldn’t recall a time where he could have ever been justifiably angry with the man. He always went above and beyond for their messed up little family. He was what held them together._

_So why was it that they were breaking apart so easily now?_

_“For both of you, losing anyone is the worst and most painful thing to ever happen; next to failing anyone. In these moments, he is worried about your health and safety. After seeing you wounded, I believe his fear is getting the better of him.”_

_Of course it was. He knew that. But Bruce had to know better, didn’t he? He wasn’t just some helpless kid anymore! He’d grown up! He’d been fighting by his side for years!Couldn’t he trust him? Maybe view him less as a sidekick and more of an equal?_

_“But Master Richard, you really must understand. He is only doing these things because he views you as his son. The last bit of family he has left.”_

_And he did. Really. He understood that. It wasn’t like he was in too much of a different position._

_“I don’t have any intention of him losing me - not like that. He’s my family too. You both are, Alfred. But this is something I’m good at, and it’s the one thing left that I know how to do. So I’m not just going to let him take it away. He can’t. It’s a part of who I am now. So if I can’t be Robin, I’ll find something else.”_

And that had been when he grabbed his things, and left. Back then, it had felt as if he was leaving for good. It had been his decision, and it had been one of the most painful things ever. He wasn’t sure, even now, how he would have gotten through it without the Titans. Beyond that, things had been strained for so long.. He had just repaired things with Bruce, or that was how it felt. And just as quickly as he had repaired one bridge, he seemed to be burning another.

Unfortunately, this bridge was just as important as the last.

And seeing that expression on his little brother’s face; the shock, the betrayal, the loss, and the disbelief… Seeing those things to the point where he felt just what he had done in the flicker of a moment that Tim had allowed such insight - unintentionally, he knew - was more painful than he would have thought. They were unexpected because now he realized he hadn’t thought this through. He’d been careless. He hadn’t thought what this would mean for Tim and doing it like this… 

He was ripping Robin away from Tim just like he had felt Bruce was doing all those years ago.

Except it wasn’t just that.

He was probably making the young man feel as if he was ripping away his last place in the world that he felt he belonged or had a place in.

In that moment, so many years later, he was pretty sure he felt loss that Bruce had when he walked out of that door, just as he watched Tim do the same.

He finally understood. In a moment filled with best intentions, you could inflict the worst kind of pain. But… Bruce had at least been keeping his safety in mind. He had a good excuse. In Dick’s case? He knew there wasn’t one. He had simply been careless.

He wondered if his little brother would ever forgive him.

After all, just because  _he_  had eventually come back after walking out that door didn’t mean that Tim ever would.

That idea alone ached in his chest and terrified him.

“In time, he will come to understand, Master Richard.”

He wondered if he had said the same words to Bruce. That time, he had been right.. but this…

“I think I’m more worried about his forgiveness, Alfred. I don’t know if I deserve it.”

Their little family was breaking apart again.


End file.
